


Azura and the Night Market

by Snowwellie



Series: Fire Emblem Character Pieces [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/F, Fire Emblem Gift Exchange, Fluff, Holidays, One Shot, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 15:39:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8719366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowwellie/pseuds/Snowwellie
Summary: Corrin beckoned Azura gently as they started heading outside of the castle into the dark. At the door, Azura balked. It was late. And very dark out. And they were in Nohr. Princesses, without armed escort.***Corrin bundles-up Azura and takes her for a for a night-time walk.***





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for tumblr user [@tood-mouse](http://tood-mouse.tumblr.com) for the Fire Emblem Winter Exchange event run on tumblr at [@fe-gift-exchange](http://fe-gift-exchange.tumblr.com). 
> 
> Prompt(s): Theme was "Bundled-Up!" Thanks to tood-mouse for the great prompt of a night walk for Azura and Corrin!
> 
> AN: All Azura and Corrin’s support convos are so sad, I just wanted to pet them and be like “shhh, everything is okay.”

“There.” Corrin snapped the elastic around the last bundle of light blue hair and took a step back to admire her handiwork. Azura’s dainty face was now framed by two long braids, cascading down her shoulders.

“Oh,” Azura looked at her reflection in the mirror, “this is different!”

“Different good or different bad?” Corrin held her breath.

“Different good!” Azura’s appearance was usually so relaxed and free, it was fun to see her hair so neat and tidy. “I like—”

Azura’s words were interrupted by a scarf that Corrin was deftly winding around her neck and shoulders, followed by a warm hat being pulled down and around her ears.

“Uhhh…” Azura thought Corrin was cute when she was spontaneous but that didn’t make her any less confused. “Corrin, what is going on?”

Corrin handed Azura a thick coat before replying.

“We’re going for a walk.”

By the time Azura struggled into the large buttoned mass, Corrin was already fully dressed in her own warm clothing, eyes bright for whatever she was suddenly excited to show Azura.

“Come on!” Corrin beckoned Azura gently as they started heading outside of the castle into the dark. At the door, Azura balked. It was late. And very dark out. And they were in Nohr. Princesses, without armed escort.

“Corrin, I’m not sure if now is the best time—”

“Now is the perfect time,” Corrin stated. She flashed a mischievous grin before turning and heading out into the darkness.

Azura followed one step behind, as she always had since the day they had met. There was just something about Corrin that made her want to follow, despite the overwhelming darkness they faced. She probably wasn’t the only one, if the large loyal army Corrin had amassed was any sign.

“Corrin,” said Azura softly, “where are we going?”

Corrin must have heard the quiver in her voice because she gently clasped Azura’s hand in her own and gave it a soft reassuring squeeze.

“You once told me that you saw nothing good in the darkness,” Corrin held a heavy breath, “and nothing good in Nohr,” she finished.

Azura blushed slightly, reflecting on the long conversations they had had over their feuding kingdoms. She had said almost those exact words in the past. Getting to know their Nohrian allies had changed her mind slightly, mostly because of her fondness for the bubbly Elise. There might be a few Nohrians here and there who could walk in the light, but the only memories she had of her childhood in Nohr and it’s people were sad.

“I want to show you,” Corrin drew in a nervous breath, “that the dark can be just as wonderful as the light.”

“Oh,” Azura wasn’t sure where this was going, but she was willing to follow. “Okay.”

They walked in silence hand in hand down the road. There were other people in the streets, some headed in the same direction as them. At first, Azura bristled at the sight of any movement in the shadows. Her worst fears lay in the darkness. Every flicker and shift was a Faceless in her mind. She stared at the outlines of the people they passed, looking for an assassin, solider, or rogue that might suddenly leap out and attack her and her precious Corrin.

Azura could feel the tension in her body as she walked stiffly, her movement devoid of it’s usual elegance and grace. She did not have to walk in fear for very long as they soon came to their destination. It was a side street, someplace you wouldn’t know it was there unless you were staring straight at it. The narrow lane was lined with booths, umbrellas, and vendors, softly illuminated by the most beautiful paper lanterns.

“Welcome to the Night Market,” Corrin said with a grin.

Azura spent the better half of the next hour wandering down the lane from booth to booth, completely dazzled by the endless computations of the people’s art and imagination. Corrin had to pull her away from a booth selling a creative contraption that peeled apples as she had been staring at it for an awkwardly long amount of time trying to figure out how it worked. She was completely entranced by every food stall and her arms were soon full of a sampling from almost every one. It wasn’t that she was overly hungry, she just didn’t want to miss out on a single flavour. She stuffed herself with the most savoury of meats on skewers and a variety of questionable, yet delicious, deep fried treats.

Overall, she was surprised to have found such life in the heart of Nohr. The Nohr she remembered was so cold and harsh, but these people were so kind and passionate. Azura was used to people being nice to her, one of the perks of being a royal, but with her hair braided and folded beneath her coat and hat, and scarf obscuring her jewelry and delicate features, she didn’t really think that the vendors knew who her and Corrin were. They were genuine, treating every customer with the same warmth.

Corrin had offered to buy her a small gift; Azura ended up choosing a shell that had been painted with swirls of black and dark blue, accented with little beads of glitter to emulate a starry night sky.

Walking back to their lodgings, Azura felt a little more relaxed. The outlines of the people in the street were no longer all potential threats but other friends and families on their way about town. A movement in the shadows turned out to be a stray cat wanting a piece of her chicken skewer she had toted along as a snack for the walk back. The darkness no longer felt like a completely oppressive force, but rather it held a soft freedom, and potential. In the harshness of the light, you can see everything in all it’s glory, but the darkness seemed to hold a promise of more, and a question that always kept you on your toes.

“So,” asked Corrin with baited breath, “what do you think?”

“I could get used to it,” Azura admitted begrudgingly. Letting go of her childish vision of Nohr was going to take a little getting used to, but if she could replace every sad memory with ones as great as this, then maybe, just maybe, she could fully accept the dark with the light.

**Author's Note:**

> Things That Are Wonderfully Canon:  
> \- Long philosophical discussions between Azura and Corrin as they try to come to grips with their pasts.
> 
>  
> 
> Check out my other work [here on AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowwellie/profile) or find me on tumblr [@snowwellie](http://snowwellie.tumblr.com).


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